Making a Cordless Tool Storage / Charging Station

In this Instructable, I'll show you how I made this Cordless Drill Holder / Charging Station. Hope you find some inspiration to make your own!

Be sure to watch the video above that goes side by side with this article and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for upcoming projects!

This is an easy to build cordless drill and driver charging station with a small drawer for the bits and pieces you need for those tools. Although I don't add any measurements because you probably don't have the same tools that I have, so you need to make it fit your needs. Its made from 12mm plywood without screws or dowels just dado joinery and a couple of nails for the back piece.

Step 1: Materials and Tools You Will Need!

Tools Used:

• Circular saw
• Table saw ( one I used: http://amzn.to/2jL1PnX )
  
• Orbital sander ( or anything that you can sand with)
• Handheld Router (optional, just if you want to make the drawer pull like I did)
• Nail gun ( optional, I just used it for the back panel)
• Chisel
• Hole saw ˛Forster bit ( or a Jigsaw)

Materials/Supplies:

• 12mm Plywood
• 3mm hardboard ( for the drawer bottom)
• Tape measure
• Sandpaper
• Wood Glue
• Clamps
• Water-based poly

Step 2: Cut Your Pieces to Size.

Start with gathering your cordless tools and chargers and lay them out the way you like to place them in the cabinet. make sure you have enough space around each individual tool and count in some space that you can grab them easily.

After figuring out the dimensions that you need the box you can count in some space for a drawer to go. The drawer comes in handy to store your drill bits and other accessories.

You can use the top of the box to store the chargers and the extension cord with a switch.

Cut your sides and shelves to size.

Step 3: Joinery

This build uses Dado and rabbet joints to hold the shelves and the box together. you don't need any fancy dado-blade or matching size router bit, all you really need is a Table saw. or if you clamp a piece of straight scrap board you can use your handheld circular saw to cut the dado for your joinery.

Make sure you measure the thickness of your material so you get a nice tight joint.

After the dados been cut you can clean up the grove with a chisel.

Step 4: Making the Shelf to Hold the Tools

Measure the maximum width of your tools where you hold them (mine were 40mm wide) and mark how deep they go into the cabinet. drill a matching size hole with a hole saw ( or just make a rectangular cut if you don't have a hole saw or even use a Jigsaw)

After you drilled the holes cut out the slot where the handle goes with a saw.

For a more finished look and more comfort, round over the edges.

Step 5: Assembling the Box

Use some wood glue on all the rabbets and dados and hold the box together with some clamps while the glue dries.

Afterwards, clean up the glue squeeze out with a chisel. Measure the back of the box and cut the back panel to size. Attach the back panel with some glue and some nails or screws.

Step 6: Making the Drawer

For the drawer construction use the same Joinery as for the box. After measuring the inside of the cabinet where the drawer goes cut your piece to the height of the drawer. Afterwards, cut in a recess for the 3mm bottom panel ( this is easier before you cut the sides of the drawer to length.)

Cut your pieces to length and cut the rabbets, clean them up with a chisel as you have done earlier.

Take the piece that goes on the front of the drawer, mark the center and drill a 25mm hole for the pull. if you want to make the drawer so that there isn't an opening to the inside where dirt and sawdust can get in use this simple step.

Start with rounding over the hole on the outside of the panel then take a so-called OG profile router bit and rout the back side of the panel. Be careful to not change the order of steps so your guide bushing on your router bit has something to ride on. This way you get a comfortable grip for your finger and can glue a piece of plywood on the inside of the drawer to close the hole.

Make a dry assembly of the drawer so you can measure how big the bottom panel needs to be! Cut your panel to size and glue up the drawer.

Step 7: Placeing the Chargers and Extension Cord

If your charger has some hanging/mounting holes on the underside you can use it to hold it in place, if not here is a simple trick:

Take a Marker that is contrasting to the wood you are using and "paint" all the feet of the charger than quickly turn it over and press it against the wood where you want them to place. This way you get a stamp from the bottom side of your charger.

Now you can drill some recess for the feet without measuring. Now that your charger sits flat on the shelf and it won't slide around you can use some double sided tape or some hot melt glue to hold it to the wood.

I removed the four outer screw from my extension cord and drilled some thru-holes so I can screw it to the shelf (Make sure you don't damage the wires inside of your extension cord).

Step 8: Finishing Up!

After sanding all the sides of the cabinet and the drawer to P180 Grit with an orbital sander (or if you need some work out by hand) you can apply some finish coat to protect your cabinet and make it easier to clean.

I used two coats of Water-based Poly because of its quick drying time and pleasant odor.

Please make sure you watched the video build to get a better understanding the entire process, and it also helps me out to make more of these projects!

I hope you enjoyed this article and found some inspiration to make your own and if you want to see more great projects you can subscribe my YouTube Channel too! If you liked this project please Vote for it! Thank you very much!